The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-15
NEW Y0RK'S S0LITAIRES
SINGULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOME MEN.


How They Hedge Themselves With
Barriers-A Fortune for the Man who
Invents a Noiseless Cart - What is
Done With the Ashes and Garbage
An Italian who Found a $4,000
Bond and Retired Rich.
NEW YORK, May IA feel sorry at times
for the men who are always alone. l have
no doubt that they would resent such a
sentiment on my part, but they are such
mournful and forsaken looking beings as
they wander desolately about the streets of
crowded city, that they inspire pity in
spite of the airs of hauteur and exclusiveness
which they invariably assume. l have
known one man by sight for ten years who
never by any chance speaks or bows to any
one, and who is yet frequenter of the
theatres. the opera and the cafes, and pos
sessed of an ample fortune. He passed me
in a ghost-iike manner one night in Del
nlonico's as / stood by the side of one of
those agreeable young society men who
know everybody on earth. My companion
stared after the melancholy arrival, and
said shortly:
"That's Thompson's brother-Thompso
of the Union Club, you know. He's always
alone He's so Internally btdSe that all of
his friends have shaken him, and now |
rather fancy he's trying to shake himself.
At least, he wanders up and down with the
expression of a man who would give every
thing on earth if he could get away from
himself, if only for half an hour"
Thompson's beard is trimmed to sharp
point, his moustache is waxed upward, and
he wears large single glass without any
string | have sometimes thought that 1t
would be impossible to dislodge the glass
with hammer. He stares with wearied
melancholy at every face he meets, and
steals along with stealthy and limping
gait. His attire is invariably of the most
fashionable cut, and his horses, traps and
grooms unexceptionally correct. He is
member of six clubs, but never enters any
one of them.
Another solitary who has attracted my
attention at various periods during the past
fifteen years has no other aim in life than
the care of his nails, as far as | can see |
have known him to spend three hours over
an elaborate dinner at Delmonico's, and
then, after pulling his chair under par
ticularly bright light, labor with gentle as
siduity at his nails with jeweied knife
until o'clock in the morning. Then, with
an approving glance, he would give the
waiter a liberal tip, pour down stunning
slug of whisky and wander sedately home.
He walks like drum-major, is perhaps 80
years of age and is a model of courtesy and
propriety in public places, but ne never by
any chance speaks to man or acllnowl-
edges the salutatiJL of waiter, policeman,
clerk or passer-by.
Another man who is apparently too weary
Of the world to take the slightest interest in
anything that is going on around him is a
heavy, broad and solemn broker-if one can
fancy a solemn broker-who hedges himself
about with the most extraordinary barriers
to prevent people approaching him. 1t is
said no man has ever gained access to his
inner Office in Wall street, and the junior
members of the firm transacts all the neces-
sary public business. At stated hour he
drives down in a closed brougham, enters
by side door, and drives up town again
when his work for the day is finished. Ats
O'Clock precisely he tools a magnificently
appointed tandem through the park, with
only norose groom for q companion. He
has twelve or fourteen horses in his stable
and at least two of them are famous HC
is, besides this, a man Of large property, and
vet he never in his dali drives salutes 0
friend or foe. | have seen him enter his
box at the opera and sit alone in solemn
magnificence, with an unmoved face and q
lusterless eye, while five thousand people
were shouting themselves hoarse over The
singing OF great pflnla donna on the stage
below him. He invariably left after the
principal solo, to avoid the crowd
1t would be interesting to know the causes
that have led such men as these to isolate
themselves SO thoroughly from the rest o
mankind, for they are absolute hermits il
the midst of the busiest hive of men il
America. | know dozen by sight ant
name who are well connected and wei
known, but who are absolute strangers t.
themselves with an icy reserve that nothing
ever melts, and pass through life the mil
ionaire hermits of our crowded metropolis
BLAKELY HALL.